Apparatus for the manufacture of colored glass



April 26, 1938. P, BROSSE 2,115,408-

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLORED GLASS Filed June 19, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet 1 PIERRE sRoss INVENTOR J/am,mm Y

ATTORNEYS A ruzglssa. P.BROSSE" 3 2,115,308.?

" APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COLORED GLASS Filed June 19, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 2Q y WM M/M/A/Q/HW I g PIERRE BROSSE. Y Y I INVENTOR x r,ATTORNEY5 April 26, 1938. 2,115,408

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF coLoREb GLASS P. BRO SSE 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed June 19, 1934 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATESAPPARATUS FOR THE 0F COLORED GLASS PierreBross, Paris, France,assignor-to Socit Anonyme Holbrever, Paris, France Application June 19,1934, Serial No. 731,282

In France June 3, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a process allowing a continuous production ofmolten colored glass, and particularly applicable to the automaticmanufacture of glass in tank furnaces.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device for carryingthis saidpr ocess into practice.

The process according to my'said invention consists in causing a batchof molten glass prepared in a furnace to flow through one or moredistributing ducts, adding the coloring matter to the glass betweenthefurnace and the outlet orifice of each distributing duct which isto'give a colored glass, and in rendering the mixture of coloring matterand glass homogeneous between the place where the coloring matter isintroduced and the orifice of the distributing duct, these operations ofadding the coloring matter and rendering the mixture homogeneous beingaffected in a continuous manner whilst the glass flows in thedistributing duct.

I am aware that a homogeneous'mixture has already been obtained at theoutlet of one or more furnaces, by a discontinuous process whichessentially consists in intermittently pouring the constituents of themixture into a vessel from which this mixture is alsointermittentlyremoved.

I am alsoaware of continuous processes for rendering a glass homogeneousor purifying it, or still for preparing striated glass as it flows outof a furnace.

But, I do not know and do not believe that processes for the continuouspreparation of homogeneously colored glass by adding a coloring matterto a stream of glass flowing out of a furnace and subsequently renderingthe mixture homogeneous in an equally continuous way have ever beenknown or used before my said invention.

This process has numerous and importantadvantages over those usuallyemployed, which latter generally consist inadding the coloring matter tothe batch of white glass intothe tank:

In the. first place, it allows, whatever the capacity of production ofthe plant may be, of producing a glass of a given color by quantities assmall as desired by continuous operations, and-of rapidly passing fromone color to another, whereas the above mentioned ordinary processesnecessitatethe production of each kind of colored glass by quantitiesequal to the charge contained in the tank and, consequently, on the onehand,

important stocks are .thus constituted which remain unused for a longtime and, on the other hand, considerable time is often lost for passing'fromone production to another.

It is even possible, by means of the process according to the invention,with a tank supplying a plurality of feeders,of simultaneously producingglasses of different colors by continuous operations, and also, if needbe, white glass, by means of each of these said feeders respectively.

' My process further allows, even for productions of glasses ofdifferent kinds by small quantities of utilizing a single tank of largecapacity and, consequently, of preserving the advantage of a very lowcost price "over plants in which use is made, according to the ordinaryprocesses," of separate tanks of small capacity fo'r the production ofdifferent glasses by small quantities. According to my invention, use ismade, for all productions, of a single batch of white glass,

this allowing to prepare said batch in better con"- ditions than smallseparate batches, and avoids the variations which are always possiblefrom one batch to another. all the advantages'of a continuous operationin all cases.

Finally, as the tank always contains only a single batch of white glass,this allows of avoiding the inconveniencesparticularly the loss ofglass-which, of usual, always occur at the time the composition ismodified, owing to the factthat the residue of the preceding batch soilsthe fresh one. i h

' In a plant for carrying my said process into practice, there isprovided btweenth'e' tank and the feeder or each of the feeders a devicethrough which the glass'is -distributed,this' said device ensuring firstthe incorporation of the coloring matter into the white" glass, (thissaid matter being preferably used in the'form of a glass con taining alarge proportion of coloring matter), and then the production of ahomogeneous mix; ture of theseelements. V

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thedescription given he'rein after, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate an example of a plant for carrying thisprocess into practice Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal sectionaccording to line II of Fig. 2.

Fig 2 15a horizontal section to line II'-II of Fig. 1. 1 u v Fig. 3 is across section made according to line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section of amixing stirrer and is made according to lineIV'IV of Fig. 3.

This plant comprises a furnace F. inwhich a batch of molten whiteglass'B is prepared.

The distribution of the glass is effected through made according one ormore feeders D. of anysuitable type, hav- According to my invention,between the furnace and the feeder there is interposed a deviceallowingto mix with the V white glass the coloring matter giving'thedesired that to the glass when it issues iromthe feeder.

For that 'purpose,1the conduit connecting the furnace tothe feeder isappreciably longer than in ordinary plants, and comprises a zone l;.in

tion of the'colorlng matter supplied, for instance, iromatank 3," v Y rThis coloring matter preferably consists in a mixture of molten glasswhich 'servesas a carrier v the damper I},

and ofv a large'iproportion of the coloring matter proper. i, A I

0n the up side or the zone I, the glass outlet conduit is provided withdampers l, I, adapted," on the one hand, to compel the batchoi whiteglass B to flow in this conduit throughitslower part, ,and, on' theother, hand, by reducing the cross section 01 the passageway, toproportionally increase the speed of how, particularly under ow ng to mma ame, the colorinsmatfter is prevented from spreading upstream in thewhite glass, that is to say into the batch B which,

it wouldsoil, so that this batch B can also be used for. the manufactureof glass of other tints,

either by introducing another-coloring matter such feeders. p 7 For, thesame purpose, the coloring matter is ,in the same deviceafter themanufacture 9 in i progresshas beenterminated-or, at anymoment,

tnroughotn rfeeders supplied by the, furnace through the '01 similardevices. 2, for instance shows two feeders each of which1is providedwith a devicefor. the introduction of,

the coloring matter, 'jso that/ both feeders are .capableoi'respectivelyproducing two different 'glassesat the same time. Themachine might of course be provided with'any suitable number 01' caused,to;flow downstream, with the glass to be colored, at a relatively highspeed.' Consequently,

the portion of the conduit in which the white glass receives thiscoloring matter is given a relatively smallcross section ffor instance'by forming porgreater-thickness on its bottom .Inthis zone I ofthedevicethegglassis for instance by faxburner,1 to a temperature atwhich it is sufliciently fluidinorder that themixa.ing'cansuitablytalreplace. a,

V The mixture is alsostirred by means of'rrotaryr stirrers] 6 providedwith ribs ta; rotating in reverse directions, arranged in a windingpath, and

in such a mannerthatpassages onlyar'e leftjbetween them andbetween eachof them, and the walls oi'conduit I; thus. the stirring is'ei'ib,ciently'exerted throughout the of glass. h a In the example underconsideration; each. oi.

65 the stirrers 6 isactuatedby a motor I, through able gearingdownratio; 'lhis transmissiongis' effected"through a chain 8 and toothed,wheels 90,912, a'Cardan shaft, and pinions II; .The

stirred; the transmission and a casing fl 2 ;..en-, 1 closing thepinions ii are mountedon a portal li.

themedium'of a transmission ensuringfa suite "On thedownstr'eam'side' ofthe zonei inwhich the mixing of white-glass and coloring matter and thestirring of .thislmixture, are effected, as above statedia damper H lsso arranged as to 'a,11s,sos

compel the mixture to iiowata suitable speed,

foravoidingthe too rapid flowing downstream of the coloring matter, onthe one hand, and,on

the other hand, to cause this flow to take place only at the lowerportion of the mixture, This latter particularLv prevents the upperportionof the glass, which is the nrstto receive the coloring,

matter, from immediately flowing away with this glass, the upper portionof which would be colored alone, or would at least be moreintenselycolored thanthelower portion. a which an orifice! is provided for theintroduc-v 0n the downstream side of damper ll, th

becomes homogeneous, this homogeneity being ,7

' facilitated by'heating to a suitable temperature,

forinstancerby means of a burner.

wFinally,on the'downstream side 01' the zonelii," s

the colored glass passes into the feeder under a damper it which. as thepreceding ones, compels it to flow at-its'lowerpart only, whereupon'itis discharged to the exterior," as usual, through the orificeO. Y v 3 a01' course, use mightbe made, on the downstream side of thezone I! ofthe device according tov the invention, of any suitable distributingdevice comprises a zone I! in whichthe mixture system other than thefeeder D indicated solely by way Vof' example.

Data will be given,by way of example, concern- 'ing a production-whichhas been carried 'outsin a furnace of the above described type; it ismoreover to-be understood that none of these dataare my invention, to'make therein" any modifications suited to. particular, conditions,nature 1 of the The example under consideration concerns the manufactureof lavender blue glass colored by means of cobalt oxide inthe'proportiono'f -1,6 gr. oi thisoxide per 100 kgs."of glass. i

The machine operates at-ara-te'of' 32,5 strokes per minute, and thearticle manufactured weighs The coloringmatter employedis supersaturatedto be'considered aslimitatlve, 'andthat'it will be a possible, withoutdeparting from the scope or glass to be manufactured, characteristicfeatures of the plant employed, etc. A p

glass, containing a proportion of cobalt oxide 40 times greaterthanlthat indicated above, and

this, coloring :mixture is fed to the machine at a rate of'l60grams perminute; 1

The speed of the white glass uponjentering the device is 01' 1,45-cm/min., and;by passing under by heating'.it; by means of burners, toaternpep, ature oi the order of 1.400 C. in the zones-i and 5:0f thefdevice- 'I'he'burn'ers maybe Ofany' known type, and. similar to I1, 18,and 19,- for example .v w

1.A device for the continuous manufacture of molten'homogeneous coloredglass from a batch of molten glass; comprisinga tank wheredamper 5, thisspeed is increased to 5,50 cm/min.- v ,In the portion of zone l,thecross section of which is reduced bythe thicker portions I 0, lb,thespeed is of 5,30 cm/min vand, on the down tributing such homogeneouscolored glass. and a duct leading a stream oi. this molten glass from insuch batch is melted, delivery means spaced from said tank anddistributing such homogeneous colored glass, a covered duct leading astream of this molten glass from said tank to said delivery means andthe combination of means for adding coloring matter to the upper surfaceof the glass stream at a predetermined point in said duct, with meansfor stirring the moltenhomogeneous colored glass from a. batch of.molten glass, comprising the combination, with a tank wherein such batchis melted, delivery means spaced from said tank and distributing suchhomogeneous colored glass, and a duct leading a stream of this moltenglass from said tank to said delivery means, of means for adding acoloring matter to the upper surface of the glass stream at apredetermined point in said duct, the duct having a shallow portion atone point along its length decreasing the depth of the glass stream atthe predetermined point where the coloring matter is added to saidstream, and means for stirring and heating the mixture of glass andcoloring matter between said predetermined point where the coloringmatter is added to the glass and the said delivery means.

3. A devicefor the continuous manufacture of molten homogeneous coloredglass from a batch of molten glass, comprising the combination, with atank wherein such batch is melted and delivery means spaced from saidtank and dissaid tank to said delivery means, means Ior adding acoloring matter to the upper surface of the glass stream at apredetermined point in,

said duct, a plurality of dampers spaced apart in saidduct and at leastone being located upon the downstream side of said predetermined point,spaced projections also arranged in the downstream side of. said pointwithin the duct, in spaced relation to said dampers, and rotary stirrersarranged in staggered relation in the path of the glass stream on thedownstream side of at least one of said dampers, and means for heatingthe mixture of glass and coloring mat- 15' ter between the predeterminedpoint where the coloring matter is added to the glass stream-and thesaid delivery means. 4. A device for the continuous manufacture ofmolten homogeneous colored glasses comprising a container for holding asingle batch ofvmolten glass, a plurality of ducts extending radiallyfrom said batch and each leading ofi a stream 01' the molten glass,delivery means at the outer end of each duct capable of distributing thestreams of glass in the form of homogeneous diflerent colored glasses,means in each duct for adding coloring matter at a predetermined pointto the upper surface of the glass stream, means beyond said point ineach duct for stirring and means for simultaneously heating the glass,the duct having different cross sections at diflerent,

points along its length so as to vary' the stream section of the mixtureof glass and coloring matter between the predetermined point at whichthe coloring matter is added to the glass and the",

PIERRE BROSSE.

